Time Magazine

January 27, 1997

Arrow That Doesn't Fly:

The CBC's mini-series about the interceptor that
wasn't is good to look at but ungrounded in facts

By Michael Bliss

History it isn't. Billed as "Dramatic fiction inspired by real events, the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's mini-series The Arrow, aired Jan 12 and
13, plays fast and loose with the facts. The upshot is a drama that never
soars a s high as the ill-starred jet interceptor itself. For aviation
buffs, engineers and romantic Canadian nationalists, Arrow can be hot
stuff. Others may not feel the need for four hours of mythologising.

Reality is more like this: as the cold war developed in the 1940's and
1950's, Ottawa thought a job-rich domestic aircraft industry could be built
on defence production. When A.V. Roe Co. Ltd (Avro), based near Toronto,
managed to build a serviceable jet fighter, the CF-100., the government
decided to fund development of an advanced supersonic interceptor, the
CF-105 Arrow. At the behest of nationalist ministers, especially C.D. Howe,
the Liberal government of Louis St. Laurent poured hundreds of millions
into the project.

By 1957. the Arrow was behind schedule, costs had soared, no other
countries had offered to buy the plan and Avro's president, Crawford
Gordon, was sinking into alcoholic irresponsibility. The new Conservative
government of John Diefenbaker warned Avro repeatedly that the Arrow
program was in trouble. In February, 1959, it canned the project. The
company laid off 14,000 workers. Many engineers left for good jobs in the
U.S., some in space program. All existing Arrows were cut for scrap. Legend
has it one survived.

A greater myth sprang up: that the world's finest aircraft, which would
have rocked Canada into global aerospace leadership had shot down by
bumbling fools acting out an American-driven agenda. Thus a national dream
died and Canada began its decent into mediocrity. "The Arrow is a wonderful
success!," exclaims Sara Botsford playing a scarlet-haired (and imaginary)
engineer, Kate O'Hare. "In this country that's the problem,"replies
gorgeous journalist June Callwood (Mauralea Austin). "The Arrow is too much
of a success.''

Never mind the real Arrow was never fully flight-tested, never flew with
its intended engine or electronics or weapons system. Never mind that
Avro's track record was horrible and the company was a mess. Never mind
that the Liberals had given up on the Arrow but postponed cancellation
after an election they expected to win. Based in part on Greig Stewart's
1988 book, Shutting Down the National Dream, the series buys every scrap of
Arrow mythology and adds more.

In one scene, the ole boys out fishing turn out to be Diefenbaker and U.S.
president Dwight Eisenhower (to whom Michael Moriarty and Robert Haley bear
no resemblance at all.) Ike tells Dief that the era of jet interceptors is
over and the dumb Canuck takes the bait. The Yank wants to bring down the
Arrow, it seems, because it might shoot down their U2 spy planes. In the
end, a semi crazed Diefenbaker orders all Arrows destroyed for fear the
foreigners will learn how good they are. In a flight of fancy,
true-believing Arrownauts steal the last plan, break world speed and
altitude records and fly into the sunset.

The flight scenes are a special effects tour de force: the Arrow was
beautiful to watch. Some viewers will not doubt be caught up in the drama
of dedicated men an women trying to realize a dream against all odds.
Homecoming star Dan Aykroyd starts off as a fairly wooden Crawford Gordon
but warms to the role as Gordon falls apart. Robin Gammell is C.D. Howe
reincarnate. The series is family entertainment 1950's-style, remarkably
free of sex or cursing. Only poor, doomed Gordon has a mistress and
says"goddam".

At its best, the Arrow plays to Boys Own magazine fantasies about
scientific miracles and to nationalist longings for what might have been if
only the Canadian government had given engineers and designers a blank
check. In the real world, no responsible government could have continued to
support the Arrow, even it had, the only result would have been to delay
the inevitable integration of North American defense production.

Dow we still cherish national myths like the Avro Arrow? How many younger
Canadians, citizens of an interdependent world, will buy into an economic
nationalism that was already anachronistic 40 years ago? Sensible folk who
want to be proud of Canada's real achievements might look at our world
class writers, medical researchers, athletes, yes even our modern aerospace
companies that lend the Yanks a helping had.

The Arrow's producers were not quite up to date. I tell my history students
that the last CF-105 is stored in a barn in Saskatchewan. Its taken out and
flown once a year . By Elvis.